Archive for the ‘Veteran’s Association’ Category

G.I. Jobs magazine announced this week that SUNY Canton has once again been named to their annual list of the most military-friendly schools in the nation.

The 2015 list on militaryfriendly.com honors the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace America’s military service members and veterans as students.

SUNY Canton was chosen for its support services that benefit current and former military members and their families, such as a dedicated study lounge and flexible online learning options. It is the fourth time the college has been recognized by the publication.

Pictured is Scott L. Palmer, a Mechanical Technology major from Morristown. Palmer served in the U.S. Army and is current reserve member. He is also a member of Clarkson University’s ROTC Golden Knights Battalion.

“SUNY Canton has long been committed to serving those who have served our country,” said SUNY Canton President Zvi Szafran. “We are thrilled to be recognized as a military-friendly college by G.I. Jobs magazine, and we pledge to continue providing an accessible, affordable, high-quality education to present and former military service men and women and their dependents.”

This year more than 75 veterans, National Guard members, reservists and veteran dependents are enrolled at SUNY Canton. The college’s Military and Veteran Student Service Coordinator Patrick S. Massaro serves as an adviser to military students and their families, helping them navigate the programs and services that can assist them in reaching their educational goals.

Thomas M. Sanford, an Accounting major from Poughkeepsie and current Marine Corps reservist, said SUNY Canton’s military-friendly culture helped eased his transition from active duty to higher education after serving for five years in the Marines.

“Patrick made it incredibly easy for me to make the move from my military career to beginning my degree program,” Sanford said. “And SUNY Canton’s dedicated study lounge and Student Veterans Association gives military students the opportunity connect with each other and work together.”

About G.I. Jobs

G.I. Jobs is the primary resource for service members and veterans seeking education and employment opportunities. Free tools like the new Schools Matchmaker on GIJobs.com are used by hundreds of thousands of members of the military community each year.

About SUNY Canton

SUNY Canton is Northern New York’s premier college for career-driven bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees and certificate programs. The college delivers quality hands-on programs in engineering technology, health, management and public service. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as eight exclusively online bachelor’s degrees. The college’s 14 athletic teams compete as provisional members of the NCAA Division III and the USCAA.

The event was punctuated by the first public viewing of a 20-minute slideshow with a soundtrack of oral histories from World War II veterans collected by Michael T. Magilligan, assistant librarian at the Southworth Library Learning Commons.

“I couldn’t believe how willing these brave men were to let me into their homes and share their lives with me,” Magilligan said. “I didn’t just interview them, they’ve become my friends.”

Magilligan began recording the stories of North Country veterans in June and made copies of their old photographs. “When you hear these stories told to you by the people who were there it’s as if you are right beside them,” he said.

Retired Maj. Gen. Robert J. Kasulke addresses the audience at the event.

The accounts retold ranged from storming the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, The Battle of the Bulge and attacks against the Japanese in the Pacific Theater from approximately 70 years ago.

The assistant librarian will be adding all of the digital content to a database at the Southworth Library Learning Commons. They will also submitted to the Library of Congress and the New York State Veterans’ History Museum in Saratoga.

As part of the ceremony, the SUNY Canton Veterans Association and retired Major General Robert J. Kasulke presented each veteran with a SUNY Canton challenge coin. Challenge coins are typical given in the military to prove membership, award special achievement and enhance moral. At SUNY Canton, the Veterans Association issued the coin as a symbol of pride and camaraderie, according to William J. Fassinger, the faculty advisor for the student club.

Other representatives included Daniel L. Kaifetz, director of North Country Honor Flight, an organization dedicated to transporting veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorials dedicated to their sacrifices. Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas W. Geddings was representing Fort Drum at the event.

About SUNY Canton

SUNY Canton is Northern New York’s premier College for career-driven bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees and certificate programs. The College delivers quality hands-on programs in engineering technology, health, management, and public service to students in the North Country, New York State, and beyond. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to their academic credentials. SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as eight exclusively online bachelor’s degrees. The College’s 14 athletic teams compete in state-of-the-art facilities as provisional members of the NCAA Division III and the USCAA.

The SUNY Canton Veterans Association will sponsor a fundraising hike to benefit the College’s Food Bank and the Wounded Warrior Project.

Registration will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 9, at Dana Hall and a 5K hike will commence at 10 a.m. on the cross-country trail. The entry fee is $20 per person; teams of four or more people are $15 per person. Registration fee proceeds will benefit the Wounded Warrior Project. Participants can also choose to hike with a backpack full of nonperishable food items up to 20 pounds to donate to the SUNY Canton Food Bank.

The first 50 people who register will receive a free t-shirt, and refreshments will be provided. For more information, contact Douglas A. White, Veterans Association treasurer, at (315) 262-6861.

About SUNY Canton

SUNY Canton offers a variety of career-driven bachelor’s degrees in addition to its associate and certificate programs. In the past year, the College added two new bachelor’s degrees and expanded its facilities with a new athletic center, nicknamed Roos House, and the Grasse River Suites Residence Hall. The College’s faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to their academic credentials. SUNY Canton OnLine offers flexible and convenient online courses and programs. The College’s 14 athletic teams compete as provisional members of the NCAA Division III as well as the USCAA.

Pictured are Michael S. Tribble, a SUNY Canton Physical Therapist Assistant student from Gouverneur, and Amanda R. Blanton, a Veterinary Technology major from Grand Island, organizing donated phones for Cell Phones for Soldiers Inc. Both students are members of the SUNY Canton Veterans Association.

The SUNY Canton Veterans Association is collecting used cellphones to help deployed troops keep in touch with loved ones.

Donated phones are sold for refurbishment or recycling, and the profits are used to purchase calling cards for soldiers overseas. Donation bins are located in French Hall, the Richard W. Miller Campus Center, Cook Hall, Dana Hall and Cooper Service Complex.

“Our group has teamed up with Cell Phones for Soldiers Inc. to try and help our men and women in uniform stay in touch with their families and loved ones while they are deployed,” said SUNY Canton student and Veteran’s Association Treasurer Douglas A. White. “We are asking the SUNY Canton community for help to keep them connected to those at home.”

So far, the student organization has collected about 30 used cellphones.

Cell Phones for Soldiers was founded in 2004 by teenagers Robbie and Brittany Bergquist. The charity has since provided 181 million minutes of free talk time to service members stationed around the world. On average, Cell Phones for Soldiers distributes 12,000 calling cards each week to military bases overseas and Veterans Affairs hospitals.

“Each year we have been humbled by the amount of people and organizations like SUNY Canton’s Veterans Association that take the initiative to support our troops,” said co-founder Brittany Bergquist. “The communication gap between those serving and their families is a crucial need that Cell Phones for Soldiers is committed to addressing for years to come.”

SUNY Canton offers a variety of career-driven bachelor’s degrees in addition to its associate and certificate programs. In the past year, the College added two new bachelor’s degrees and expanded its facilities with a new athletic center, nicknamed Roos House, and the Grasse River Suites Residence Hall. The College’s faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to their academic credentials. SUNY Canton OnLine offers flexible and convenient online courses and programs. The College’s 14 athletic teams compete as provisional members of the NCAA Division III as well as the USCAA.

The exclusive list honors the top 20 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace America’s military service members, veterans and spouses as students and ensure their success. G.I. Jobs uses Victory Media’s survey of more than 10,000 schools nationwide that are approved for Veterans Affairs tuition funding to compile the list.

“We are honored to be among the top military-friendly colleges nationwide,” said SUNY Canton Acting President Joseph C. Hoffman. “The Office of Military and Veterans Affairs, led by Patrick Massaro, along with our faculty and staff, work hard to ensure that all those who have served our country, and their families, feel at home here at SUNY Canton.”

SUNY Canton was chosen for the support services and programs that benefit current and former military members and their families, such as a dedicated study lounge and flexible online learning options. The College also participated in a Department of Veterans Affairs retraining assistance program for former U.S. Armed Forces personnel.

“Inclusion on the 2014 list of military-friendly schools shows SUNY Canton’s commitment to providing a supportive environment for military students,” said Sean Collins, vice president at Victory Media and a nine-year Navy veteran. “The need for education is growing and our mission is to provide the military community with transparent, world-class resources to assist in their search for schools.”

SUNY Canton offers a variety of career-driven bachelor’s degrees in addition to its associate and certificate programs. In the past year, the College added two new bachelor’s degrees and expanded its facilities with a new athletic center, nicknamed Roos House, and the Grasse River Suites Residence Hall. The College’s faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to their academic credentials. SUNY Canton OnLine offers flexible and convenient online courses and programs. The College’s 14 athletic teams compete as provisional members of the NCAA Division III as well as the USCAA.

Following in Military traditions dating back to World War I, the SUNY Canton Veterans Association has issued a challenge coin to help boost College pride.

“The coins are a unique fundraiser for the student-run club,” said SUNY Canton Interim President Carli C. Schiffner. “They use the proceeds for their charitable work here on campus and in the community.”

Challenge coins are typical given in the military to prove membership, award special achievement and enhance moral. Each challenge coin is molded and enameled with an image of both the SUNY Canton seal and the Kangaroo on reverse sides. Each coin costs $6 and the proceeds will be used to fund the Veterans Association’s various projects.

In the past academic year, the Veterans Association sponsored a hole at a charity golf tournament, donated more than 170 pounds of food to the Canton Church and Community Program and assisted with the Wounded Warrior Project’s sled hockey games.

Members of the group will also be planting a tree at 4 p.m. Thursday, April 25, on the south side of Nevaldine Technology Center, the day before Arbor Day.

The SUNY Canton’s Veterans Association was formed to connect students and alumni who serve or have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Their group association is open to veterans from all generations and branches of service.

SUNY Canton has been named to the 2013 Guide of Top Military-Friendly Colleges and Universities by Military Advanced Education magazine. This is the second time the College has been recognized by the publication.

“We take great pride in SUNY Canton’s standing as a military-friendly school, and we work diligently to create an atmosphere that is welcoming and accommodating for our nation’s service members, veterans and their families,” said Interim President Carli C. Schiffner. “It’s an honor to help those who have served our country reach their educational goals.”

SUNY Canton assists its military students by offering a dedicated study lounge and flexible online learning options for service members living stateside and abroad. Military personnel have enrolled from all over the world, including Iraq and Afghanistan.

In addition, the College’s counseling staff receives regular Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) training, and former service members can now take advantage of the Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP), which offers 12 months of financial assistance to veterans who are between 35 and 60 years of age and are unemployed, among other criteria.

Earlier this year, SUNY Canton hired its first Veterans Affairs Officer Patrick S. Massaro. This is a shared position with SUNY Potsdam, and Massaro is charged with advising veterans as they navigate the admissions process. “I serve as the main point of contact for the College’s military students and their families,” Massaro said. “One piece of my responsibility is to ensure they are aware of the programs and services that can assist them with their educational goals, such as VRAP.”

The 2013 guide will be published in the December issue. Military Advanced Education is a journal of higher learning for American service members, and is published by KMI Media Group.

There is still time for former U.S. Armed Forces personnel who plan on attending SUNY Canton to apply for the Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP).

“The Department of Veterans Affairs reserves portions of this program for technical education,” noted Patrick S. Massaro, the Military and Veteran Student Service Coordinator. “SUNY Canton is the only College in the area to fit within the regulations for the retraining program.”

Patrick Massaro (seated in the green shirt) works with students in SUNY Canton's Veteran's Lounge.

The program offers 12 months of financial assistance to veterans who are between 35 and 60 years of age and are unemployed. They also must have been honorably discharged, among other criteria.

Prospective students and transfers can apply for the spring 2013 semester at SUNY Canton up to the first day of classes on Jan. 21, 2013. “Students seeking VRAP benefits should apply as soon possible,” Massaro said. “This upcoming year [2013] will be the last full year for students to take advantage of this remarkable retraining program, due to the program’s discontinuation in March 2014.”

There are currently almost a dozen veterans at SUNY Canton who are enrolled in the program. The Department of Labor will assist veterans with job placement after they graduate.

SUNY Canton is among the top “Military Friendly Colleges and Universities” according to Military Advanced Education magazine, and was among the top 20 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools to be recognized as a 2012 Military Friendly School by G.I. Jobs.

For more information, contact Massaro at his SUNY Canton office, 386-7073, or email massarop@canton.edu.

SUNY Canton is considered one of the top colleges in the nation for members of the military community.

The College was among only 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools throughout the country to be recognized as a 2011 Military Friendly School, announced by G.I. Jobs earlier this week.

“The hard work of so many on our campus has earned us this distinction,” said SUNY Canton President Joseph L. Kennedy. “We have known for a long time that we are a military friendly campus that serves the needs of those within that community. This recognition confirms that others are aware of all we do as well.”

Over the last several years, Director of the Center for Lifelong Learning Kathryn M. Del Guidice organized SUNY Canton’s Military Friendly Committee. She worked with Robert L. Edwards, professor of criminal investigation, to assess all programs on campus and their responsiveness to the needs of the military community, which includes veterans, spouses and children of active duty service members, those in the National Guard and Reserves, and the ‘Wounded Warriors’ who are attending college as part of their transition from active duty.

Through their efforts, SUNY Canton now features a Veterans Lounge, a specific individual within the Admissions office to work with incoming military students, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) training of the College’s counseling staff, and a Veteran’s Day ceremony.

Edwards, who also serves as director of service members learning opportunities, and William Fassinger, associate professor of criminal investigation, organized the SUNY Canton Veterans Association. Students from the Association have presented the colors at the last two commencements, a tradition the College will continue.

“This recognition hits home for many within our campus community,” Edwards said. “A number of our faculty and staff are veterans, including Dr. Kennedy. More than 135 active duty service members, veterans, as well as their spouses and children were enrolled at the College last year. We have become a place that is trusted to serve our military and their families. This could not have been accomplished without the collaboration between the registrar, financial aid, admissions, the veterans on campus and the faculty and staff at the College.”

In 2008, SUNY Canton illustrated the importance of the College’s veterans to its graduating class. In 1943, twenty-seven students were called into service just weeks before their commencement. The veterans, who have come to be known as SUNY Canton’s Greatest Graduates, left to serve the country in World War II. In a heartfelt and emotional ceremony, President Kennedy presented four members of the class and a spouse of a deceased veteran with honorary certificates in their respective programs. Those veterans who could not attend the ceremony were honored for their sacrifice, some of them posthumously.

G.I. Jobs’ list was compiled through exhaustive research starting last April during which they polled more than 7,000 schools nationwide, according to their press release. Criteria for making the list included efforts to recruit and retain military and veteran students, results in recruiting those students, and academic accreditations.

SUNY Canton is sponsoring an informational session with the Veteran’s Administration from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 23, in the Veteran’s Association Lounge, Cook Hall Room 116.

“We set up this informational session to help continue the College’s commitment to the Military community, both on campus and in the greater North Country Region,” said Robert Edwards, Professor of Criminal and faculty liaison to the SUNY Canton Veteran’s Association. “Counselors will be available to help veterans and dependents of veterans answer questions about their GI Bill eligibility and disability benefits.”

Representatives from the Syracuse VA Medical Center, St. Lawrence County Veterans Service Office, New York State Division of Veterans Affairs, and Watertown Veterans Center will be available during the day. Their goal is to provide information about benefits, programs, and services offered exclusively veterans and their families including health care, home loans, property taxes, life insurance, and more. Attendants who wish to enroll in VA Health Care are asked to bring a copy of their DD214, otherwise known as discharge papers.

The informational session is free and open to all North Country veterans. For more information, contact Edwards at edwardsr@canton.edu, or call 315.386.7666.